In May of 2015 I was able to go to the Philippines with Wipe Every Tear (WET) to work with men, woman and children trapped in the chain of the sex trade. Let me start of by saying that before I even went on this trip I knew it would change my life and that God was going to work in and through me in big ways. I had no idea what or how but I just knew. I knew this was a promise I had felt since I was about 8. When I told my dad about this trip to the Philippines he mentioned that I had been talking about a trip like this since I was young. A calling that had been put on my heart by God even before I knew who He was or could really put into words what I was feeling.
The trip and God did not disappoint in any way! Have you ever traveled somewhere and felt you were coming home? That is exactly how I felt. The people, culture, transportation just felt right to me. The Philippino girls I met became my sisters in Christ immediately. They love without boundaries because they know what it is like to be saved by a Savior knowing that they did nothing to deserve the love, faithfulness, freedom, grace, redemption and promises of a Daddy. I felt like I just wanted to absorb every part of this culture and people, to see what they see and feel what they feel. I felt like my heart was laid down at the feet of Jesus meeting the girls in the safe houses that had been rescued from sex trafficking.
Part of what Wipe Every Tear does is called bar outreach, which is where we go to Walking Street in Angeles City where there are an estimated 15,000 girls trapped in the sex trade in a 1.5 mile strip. These girls were sold, kidnapped, tricked, beaten and so many more things to get them into these bars. Wipe Every Tear goes into these bars and starts making connections with all working girls to let them know they do finally have a different option for their life. WET lets these girls discover how loved, cherished and cared for they truly are. They are a princess in the eyes of their Daddy God that He went to the cross specifically for them and they are PRICELESS beyond measure. Seeing these girls and hearing their stories just broke my heart but I also felt like God was opening my eyes and speaking to my heart about so much more than just what these girls had gone through but that only He is going to bring them through it and out of it. To see that which only God could heal.
On this trip we were able to take about 60 Philippino girls out of the bars, 20 Philippino girls already in the safe house and 25 Americans to a separate island and show these girls our love for them as well as the Father’s love for them through actions. These girls were able to sleep in beds, swim, eat, laugh and just relax for the first time without any worries. I got to meet so many girls, hear their stories, pray for them and just be with them.
To say this trip changed my heart would be an understatement, but I can’t begin to explain how beyond excited I am to be able to go back to the Philippines again! To see my sweet sisters again and meet new sisters in Christ being rescued by God through Wipe Every Tear and Adventures in Missions.
